We have previously described, for example in WO2008/117087, WO2008/117086 and WO2009/056875, techniques for employing plasmon resonance based sensing in photonic biosensor arrays to provide extremely sensitive assay of multiple biological analytes in parallel. Embodiments of these techniques may be employed to analyse, for example, blood serum to detect target analytes to nanogram, potentially down to attogram levels.
The inventor has recognised that systems of this type, and also other multianalyte detectors/platform assay devices, may advantageously be employed to detect components of the complement system, that is the biochemical cascade that is part of the (innate) immune system response.
Broadly speaking there are three main pathways of complement activation, the classical pathway (CP), the alternative pathway (AP) and the lectin pathway (LP). These converge on or link to C3 convertase activation (and also C5 convertase activation), and this in turn leads to a lytic pathway which eventually forms a membrane attack complex (MAC). FIG. 1 shows the Complement Cascade, showing the Classical, Lectin and Alternative activation pathways leading to the Lytic pathway.
The inventor has conducted a program of research into the response of the complement cascade to a surgical insult, with surprising results.